US readies rationale for possible Syria strike WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration tried to bolster its case Tuesday for possible military action against Syria within days, with intelligence agencies preparing to release intercepted communications aimed at proving Bashar Assad perpetrated a large-scale chemical weapons attack on civilians. "There's no doubt who is responsible for this heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria: the Syrian regime," Vice President Joe Biden said. The U....

Florida teen dies after being shocked by police MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The family of a teenager who died after being shocked with a Taser by Miami Beach police is suing. A lawsuit filed Tuesday claims police violated 18-year-old Israel Hernandez-Llach's civil rights. The suit names the city and Police Chief Ray Martinez as defendants. Hernandez-Llach was a graffiti artist known as "Reefa." Police said they spotted him spray-painting a shuttered fast food restaurant earlier this month. He ...

US consumer confidence rises in August WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' confidence in the economy inched closer to a 5 ½-year high on growing optimism that hiring and wages could pick up in coming months. The Conference Board, a New York-based private research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 81.5 in August. That's up from a revised reading of 81 in July. And it's just below the 82.1 reading in June, which was the highest since January 2008. Consumers' inc...

Bail at $3M for 2nd teen in veteran beating case SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Bail was set at $3 million Tuesday for a 16-year-old boy who is charged with killing a World War II veteran and contends the man was beaten to death because he shorted the teen and another boy on a sale of crack cocaine. The allegation was sharply rebutted by friends of Delbert Belton, the 88-year-old veteran known as "Shorty." "Shorty never did no drugs," said Ted Denison, a friend who added that the defendants were "sme...

Facebook: Governments demanded data on 38K users WASHINGTON (AP) — Government agents in 74 countries demanded information on about 38,000 Facebook users in the first half of this year, with about half the orders coming from authorities in the United States, the company said Tuesday. The social-networking giant is the latest technology company to release figures on how often governments seek information about its customers. Microsoft and Google have done the same. As with the other companies,...

Mother of slain Ga. baby cross-examined by defense MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — The mother of a baby who was fatally shot in his stroller in coastal Georgia testified at a man's murder trial Tuesday that she threw her arms across her baby in a bid to save him. Sherry West cried as she told the court what happened as she walked home from the Brunswick post office March 21 with her 13-month-old son, Antonio Santiago. Two teenagers approached her, and the older one demanded money, West testified. De'Marq...

Some school districts quit healthier lunch program After just one year, some schools around the country are dropping out of the healthier new federal lunch program, complaining that so many students turned up their noses at meals packed with whole grains, fruits and vegetables that the cafeterias were losing money. Federal officials say they don't have exact numbers but have seen isolated reports of schools cutting ties with the $11 billion National School Lunch Program, which reimburses schoo...

Huge California wildfire spreads into Yosemite FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A giant wildfire raging out of control spread into Yosemite National Park on Friday as authorities urged more evacuations in nearby communities where thousands have already been forced out by flames marching through the timbered slopes of the western Sierra Nevada. The fire hit the park at the height of summer season, as officials geared up for a busy Labor Day weekend. It has closed some backcountry hiking but was not th...

San Diego mayor agrees to resign SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mayor Bob Filner agreed Friday to resign in return for the city's help defending him against claims he groped, kissed and made lewd comments to women, allegations that shook and embarrassed the city and turned the former 10-term congressman into a national punch line. Filner was regretful and defiant during a City Council meeting as he explained the "the toughest decision of my life." He apologized to his accusers but insisted...

Hagel: US naval forces move closer to Syria ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT OVER THE PACIFIC (AP) — The Pentagon is moving naval forces closer to Syria in preparation for a possible decision by President Barack Obama to order military strikes, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel suggested on Friday. Hagel declined to describe any specific movements of U.S. forces. He said Obama asked that the Pentagon to prepare military options for Syria and that some of those options "requires positioning our fo...

50 years after King, marchers gather again in DC WASHINGTON (AP) — Next week, the nation’s first black president, a living symbol of the racial progress Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed about, will stand near the spot where King stood 50 years ago and say where he believes this nation should be headed. Then, like King, President Barack Obama will step away from the hulking Lincoln Memorial, and return to where this nation is now. As civil rights activists pause to consider the great strides to...

Ohio woman convicted of assault in classroom brawl CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio woman involved in a classroom brawl with a teenage girl accused of bullying her daughter was sentenced to probation Friday after being convicted of assault but acquitted of trespassing at the school. Jurors reached that unanimous verdict after three days of testimony in the trial of Precious Allen, who had pleaded not guilty in the Feb. 7 fracas also involving her daughter and a 15-year-old girl at Withrow High School...

DA: Race not a factor in Aussie's Oklahoma slaying OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Australian baseball player who was allegedly shot and killed at random while he was jogging wasn't targeted because of his race or nationality, the prosecutor in charge of the case said Friday. Christopher Lane, a 22-year-old student at East Central University, was shot in the back and killed last week while jogging in Duncan, a southern Oklahoma community where the three teenagers accused in his killing live. "At this ...

Military jury convicts soldier in Fort Hood attack FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — A military jury on Friday convicted Maj. Nidal Hasan in the deadly 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, making the Army psychiatrist eligible for the death penalty in the shocking assault against American troops by one of their own on home soil. There was never any doubt that Hasan was the gunman. He acknowledged to the jury that he was the one who pulled the trigger on fellow soldiers as they prepared to deploy overseas...

Obama calls for cost-conscious college ratings BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Targeting the soaring cost of higher education, President Barack Obama on Thursday unveiled a broad new government rating system for colleges that would judge schools on their affordability and perhaps be used to allocate federal financial aid. But the proposed overhaul faced immediate skepticism from college leaders who worry the rankings could cost their institutions millions of dollars, as well as from congressional Rep...

ACT: Third of high school grads not college ready WASHINGTON (AP) — Almost a third of this year’s high school graduates who took the ACT tests are not prepared for college-level writing, biology, algebra or social science classes, according to data the testing company released Wednesday. The company’s annual report also found a gap between students’ interests now and projected job opportunities when they graduate, adding to the dire outlook for the class of 2013. “The readiness of students le...

With deal in place, will San Diego mayor leave? SAN DIEGO (AP) — A deal aimed at resolving the sexual harassment scandal involving Bob Filner hit a snag Thursday when the attorney suing the mayor over such allegations said she was not party to the tentative agreement between city officials and Filner. Details of the proposal that ended three days of talks Wednesday haven’t been disclosed, but City Council members have said in the past the mayor needed to agree to quit for any deal to be str...

Staff Sgt. Bales apologizes for Afghan massacre JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP) — The U.S. soldier who massacred 16 Afghan civilians during pre-dawn raids last year apologized for the first time for his “act of cowardice,” but could not explain the atrocities to a military jury considering whether he should one day have a shot at freedom. Staff Sgt. Robert Bales said he would bring back the victims of his March 11, 2012, attack “in a heartbeat,” if possible. “I’m truly, truly sorry to ...

Manning wants to live as a woman named Chelsea FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman named Chelsea and begin hormone treatment as soon as possible, the soldier said a day after being sentenced to 35 years in prison for giving government secrets to WikiLeaks. Manning announced the decision Thursday in a statement provided to NBC’s “Today” show. “As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female...

Girl explains texts with man who killed relatives SAN DIEGO (AP) — A California teen whose mother and brother were killed by a family friend said on national television Thursday that she once confided with the man about troubles with her mother and explained text messages exchanged on the day of the attack. Police say James Lee DiMaggio abducted Hannah Anderson and fled to the Idaho wilderness before he was killed by authorities. In an interview on the NBC “Today” show, Hannah didn’t say how ...